Becoming More Productive at Work
Have you ever wanted to be more productive at work? And yet when you get to work you find yourself unmotivated, distracted, and maybe even bored or tired?
Well I have some news for you, the solution might be easier than you think, and it may have nothing to do with improving your organizational skills, time management abilities, or even professional talent. Instead it might just depend on what you do on your way to work.
Research has started to show that those fleeting emotions we feel (like when someone cuts us off in traffic) can influence our decisions well after the event is forgotten.
In a famous research study male students were asked to cross one of two bridges. One bridge was dangerous looking; the other bridge was completely safe. Half way across the bridge, the students encounter an attractive “research assistant.” She offers to talk to them about the results of the study later on if they will call her.
As it turns out, the students on the “dangerous” bridge were much more likely to call. Well after they had forgotten the “fear” of the bridge.
Except that’s not entirely true. The students didn’t forget their emotions. They just carried them over. (In this case the students confused “fear” with “attraction”, and remembered the “research assistant” in those terms.)
Our emotions impact how we choose to act.
What does this have to do with productivity at work? Well think about your morning routine. How does it start? Do you stand around and gossip or complain? Did you feel road rage? Are you angry that you have to be awake and haven’t had a good cup of coffee yet?
All of those emotions, while fleeting, may have an impact on how productive you’ll feel for the day. So maybe the solution to becoming more productive is to simply avoid the gossip, complaints, and general negativity of the morning.
Cut back on those negative interactions. Or better yet, find a morning routine that has more positive emotions. Whether it’s a goodbye kiss to your spouse, or listening to songs that inspire you, or starting your day reading part of a good book.
You may just be surprised what happens.
related research:
Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. P. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 510–517.
Andrade, Eduardo, Ariely, Dan. (2009). The enduring impact of transient emotions on decision making. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109 (1), 1-8.
photo provided by flickr user dbking
A good bye kiss from my husband always starts my mornings off just right!
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About Eric Barrett
Eric Barrett is an organizational consultant who specializes in applying psychology to communication. He has worked as an organizational psychologist for over a decade, and is most recently working on developing social media guidelines for a real estate company. He also teaches psychology at Xavier University. In his spare time he...wait, who are we kidding...he has no spare time.
He is available on a limited basis for speaking engagements and consulting projects. For more information please see the About Meaning to Work page.
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